The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-04-28
OUR FARMERS CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is
Progressing.

Progressing.
MARKS CREEK TOWNSHIP CLUB-wAKE
COUNTY.
This Club met on the 10th inst,
when an interesting discussion was
had on the subject:
Hoao to Raise Manure and to Improve
the Soil
J. B. H. Knight said:
lst. Green Crops. our old and
worn down lands, nothing is of more
Importance to improvement of their
condition, when cost is taken into con-
sideration, than green crops, such as
field peas, rye, etc. The clean culti-
vation and severe washings to which
most of our lands are subjected, soon
destroys all the vegetable matter
humus- naturally in the soil when the
land is brought into cultivation. When
this humus has been exhausted, it
must be supplied either by vegetable
or animal manures. Mineral manures
are no good without this humus in the
soil to act upon. Now the best way I
know to keep supply of this humus
on hand is to occasionally give to your
land pea or rye crop Pease are far
preferable. They not only give veg
etable matter to the soil, but draw
largely from the atmosphere. The
pea foliage is very porous, and readily
absorbs from the air such gases as am
monia, carbonic acid gas, sulphuretted
hydrogen, etc. The grasses and clover
act in the same manner, but | shall
speak of them separately, further on.
ID Grasses Grasses not only sup
ply the soil with humus, but upon
these we can rely largely for feed for
our stock Every farmer should have
at least a portion of his farm in clover,
or grass, for two seasons. lst. With
plenty of grass, feed is plenty, for
during spring and summer we find it
green, and during summer and fall,
while the supply is more than equal to
the demand, it should be cut and prop
erly dried, and makes an excellent feed
for winter use. I'd. With plenty of
grass, or good hay made from it, we
can safely make an outlay in stock,
which properly fed and cared for, (of
which [ shall speak again further on)
will make an abundance of manure to
be used in enriching the soil. AS to
which grass is best for our country,
there are many opinions. Ihave tried
red clover, and know it to be a good
thing Purple top is as good annual
clover as you can get. This must be
sown in the fall, and may be cut for
use early in April 1t is purely
spring crop. The crop may be cut
and fed green to all kinds of stock, or
cut and cured-making an excellent
hay, and the crop come off in time to
plant the same land in cotton or corn
Lucerne Alfalfa, Johnston grass, Ber-
muda grass, and blue grass are all
highly mentioned for hill lands and
Timothy for bottom lands
AS my subject is the improvement
Of the soil, | shall speak of the cult
vation of these grasses only so far as
they are directly concerned in the i'm
provement of the soil
3D. Stock-As the grasses and |
stock are so closely allied, before 60
ing farther, I will say few words
about stock. One Of the greatest in
ducements to the raising of grasses, is
that we may have stock. The more
grass, the more stock the better the
grass, the better the stock. The more
stock, the more manure. The better
the stock are cared for, the better the
manure. 1t is advisable to raise pure
breeds as nearly as possible, as they
thrive better and always bring better
prices when offered for sale. When
it is not convenient to raise pure breeds,
the next best thing to it is to breed
from pure-bred males.
It has been ascertained that grades
thrive as well as pure bloods, and with
cows often milk fully as WELL
4th. Rotation of Crops.-This is
closely allied with what has heretofore
been said, and on it much depends, not
only as to the direct Improvement of
the soil, but the success in raising the
grasses and stock, which mean, indi-